President Obama to pick Chuck Hagel for Pentagon

President Barack Obama has settled on Chuck Hagel, a Republican and former U.S. senator from Nebraska, to succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, with an announcement expected Monday, Democratic officials told POLITICO.

The choice of Hagel, who opposed his party on the Iraq War as a senator, is likely to ignite a raucous confirmation battle because several Democratic interest groups and prominent Republicans have voiced strong opposition since Hagel’s vetting for the job was reported five weeks ago.

Text Size

White House defends Hagel

POLITICO LIVE: 13 to watch in 2013

A Democratic aide described the White House’s logic for choosing Hagel, age 66: “Chuck Hagel is a decorated war hero who would be the first enlisted soldier and Vietnam veteran to go on to serve as secretary of defense. He had the courage to break with his party during the Iraq War, and would help bring the war in Afghanistan to an end while building the military we need for the future.

“He has been a champion for troops, veterans and military families through his service at the VA and USO, and his leadership on behalf of the post-9/11 GI Bill. The president knows him well, has traveled with him to Iraq and Afghanistan, trusts him and believes he represents the proud tradition of a strong, bipartisan foreign policy in the United States.”

Obama, who arrived back in Washington on Sunday morning, is expected to announce his nomination of Hagel on Monday as his first public appearance after the continuation of his Hawaii vacation.

Within a few days, and perhaps at the same time as the Hagel announcement, the president is likely to name his successor for former CIA Director David Petraeus. The candidates are John Brennan, White House homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, or Mike Morrell, acting CIA director.

Neoconservative Republicans have rallied against Hagel. More damaging in the Democratic-controlled Senate, pro-Israel groups and gay-rights groups have marshaled opposition to him.

A Senate Democratic official said: “I don’t think Dems just fall in line. Ultimately, he may be confirmed. But at this stage, his fate is totally up in the air. He will really have to work hard to overcome some of his previous statements and positions.”

In 1998, Hagel disparaged James C. Hormel as “openly aggressively gay,” after President Bill Clinton named him ambassador to Luxembourg.

On Dec. 21, Hagel issued a strong apology for the quote, which had appeared in the Omaha World-Herald: “My comments 14 years ago in 1998 were insensitive. They do not reflect my views or the totality of my public record, and I apologize to Ambassador Hormel and any LGBT Americans who may question my commitment to their civil rights. I am fully supportive of ‘open service’ and committed to LGBT military families.”

The Human Rights Campaign accepted his apology. The gay rights organization’s president, Chad Griffin, said Hagel’s statement “of support for LGBT equality is appreciated and shows just how far as a country we have come when a conservative former senator from Nebraska can have a change of heart on LGBT issues.”

Hagel’s past comments also have stirred anger among some in the Jewish community and other Israel backers.

And so Obama continues to slice and dice repubs, and indeed extremists on both sides, due to their own internal turmoil and inability to accommodate different opinions.

So he made those definitely anti-gay remarks 14 years ago? That is the most anyone has come up with against him. Well, at that time, the entire country was more in line with him. Times have changed since then. And he has apologized fully for that comment, and his current boss has done a lot to move the country to a place of greater tolerance in this regard; for the country not discriminating against anyone's ability to work and serve well and equally regardless of orientation.

Complaints against his comments regarding Israeli lobbyists in Congress and how his allegiance is to American interests first is not even worth any paper its printed on. This did not indicate anything against Israel - just an affirmation of an American interest-centric approach - as it should be for all our elected senators.

As for repubs, surely there are many on that side who see more in line with Hagel's "more conservative" view of our use and dipersal of our defense resources. Ron Paul was to his left in fact in terms of our defense policies.

Regardless, on Iraq (right now) and on Afganistan the country as a whole is more in line with Hagel's views than the whiny repubs who I hope will not again start a fight over this matter in the same manner as they fight over everything even while losing and looking dumb at the end of it.

Do the above two right wing extremists posters even attempt to make any sense?

"Obama hires liars for Obama? - Donald Johnson". Are those two different people? What lie did Hagel tell?

"Barney Frank against Chuck Hagel..- AngelEyez". Huh? The right wing is now into promoting Barney Frank's views?

Hey guys, Obama has nothing to do with why you are losers in real life. Jumping and tossing anything on the blogs whenever you see "Obama" isn't going to explain or solve any of that. Your wife left you? Its not because of Obama. You have no skills to have seen you successful in life? Its not because of Obama.

In fact, does the vocal majority of the right wing even make any sense these days?

Huge mistake by the President. People like me who supported the President are now going to bitterly oppose him on the issue; and bet that there are many moderate Democrats like me who oppose Hagel. Look, the Defense Secretary has to carry out the President's objectives. But having a Secretary of Defense who is weak on terror and an appeaser of evil regimes; and having made border-line anti-Semitic and truly homophobic comments is not someone we need representing us. It makes us appear weak. The Hagel nomination must be opposed by all of us who value freedom and human dignity for all people. Whether LGBT Americans or Iranians oppressed in Iran. We must stand for freedom and human dignity; something Hagel has consistently stood against. We need not an appeaser of evil. I think that the President made a huge mistake and that Hagel's nomination will end up being a loser for the President as his nomination simply won't get through the Senate. Big mistake Mr. President..

Um, John Kerry's lead attack dog against the Swift Boat Captains the was a "war hero" as well but who later had his Silver Star stripped away for some unknown reason and was thrown in jail for 37 months for child porn. Spare us the "war hero" garbage, he is a homophobe and anti semetic, maybe that is why President Coward doubled down on stupid?

Someone should tell Senators Graham and McCain that the Constitution does not confer upon them the right to choose the President's cabinet, which is what they successfully did with their hysterical lobbying against Susan Rice before she was even nominated and are attempting to do with Chuck Hagel. They get to advise and consent, not to tell Mr. Obama whom to pick in the first place.

I hope the Senate respects President Obama's decision and lets him have the man he believes best for the job. I hope the Senate doesn't become like the Republican House -- nothing but partisan squabbling and bad, expensive, wasteful political theater. I hope the Senate doesn't take its eyes off the biggest and main problems our country faces, like job creation, rebuilding our infrastructure, global warming, and stabilizing our economy through revenue-growing tax reform, rooting out fraud and waste and cutting spending on low-priority programs.

To me, what's most important is appointing a person: (1) capable of leading our military men and women; (2) able to manage a vast bureaucracy (3) deeply knowedgeable about our military and its missions (4) absolutely loyal to the United States and our president.

McCain wants to be nominated for the position and will likely lead a theatrical Republican opposition to Hagel, but when hasn't sour-grapes McCain been the contrarian?

Schoolmarm, you seem a little worked up, but I just want to remind you, the Democrats won, not just Obama, not just the Senate, but also the house of Representatives, by a million votes nationally. Why would anyone listen to the Republicans? The times have left them behind, all this whining by Graham and McCain is just a death rattle. You guys are toast.